New feature has Google soaring

GOOGLE has launched a new feature that will allow users to search for anything that has ever appeared on their computer.

The unveiling of the new Desktop Search function sent the company's shares to $142 (£77), close to their record high.

'We think of this feature as the photographic memory of your computer,' said Marissa Mayer, Google's director of consumer web products. 'If there's anything you once saw on your computer screen, we think you should be able to find it again quickly.'

The product will search all content in Outlook, Outlook-Express, Excel, Internet Explorer, Powerpoint and text, even when you're not connected to the internet. Analysts believe the Google service could be a threat to Microsoft by making the Windows platform and browser less essential.

The new process works by indexing the computer's main drive whenever the PC is idle for 30 seconds or more, using an application that can be downloaded free of charge.